Dabo Swinney has never been hesitant to stand up for his players, whether it’s by backing them throughout injuries, defending them in the media, or pushing for chances he feels they deserve. This time, the NCAA’s increasingly complex eligibility rulebook, where JUCO years and eligibility clocks have become a confusing web that may subtly steal careers, is putting that instinct to the test.

According to Chapel Fowler, Clemson WR Tristan Smith is officially petitioning the NCAA for another year of eligibility, and Dabo Swinney has made it clear the Tigers are ready to take that fight as far as it goes.

“Oh yeah, we’ll go as far as we gotta go,” Swinney said. “Obviously, at some point, something will have to break there, because he’s got a chance to go play at the next level. I know he’d like to come back, but we’ll just have to see how it all plays out, and go from there.”

Even though he is playing out 2025 as if it were his last chance, Tristan Smith is still playing inside his five-year window and is officially requesting the NCAA for a chance to return in 2026.

“If I just so happen to get another year, I would rather them tell me after the season, so I can give it my all this season,” Smith said on August 8. “I feel like if I get another year (right now), I’m going to get comfortable just me being me.”

Following a stellar season at Southeast Missouri State, Smith transferred to Clemson ahead of the 2025 season. Since then, he has quietly delivered 22 receptions for 229 yards and a score in 12 games, earning three starts. In Death Valley, the stats don’t stand out, but they do come with context.

Smith was all over the place at SEMO last fall, hauling in 76 catches for 934 yards and six touchdowns while earning a spot on the second team of the All-Big South-OVC. Before that, there were the JUCO years at Hutchinson, the grind years, where snaps and stats rarely came, but the dream stayed alive.

The battle for eligibility is gaining momentum behind the scenes. Smith is motivated to take advantage of the NCAA’s latest waiver that exempts a year of JUCO experience off the eligibility clock, along with examples such as Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Dabo Swinney sees it too. He’s praised Smith’s recent stretch with elite length and a maturity shaped by a tough road. More than that, Swinney adores Smith’s enthusiasm. He described him as “the happiest guy on the team,” a player who is grateful to be here yet eager for more.

Smith has already made it clear: if the NCAA gives him that year, he’s not going anywhere. And he isn’t swinging at shadows. The NCAA has already been here once before, and it didn’t go their way. One JUCO QB dragged the system into court and walked away with another season.

Diego Pavia beat the clock

The Diego Pavia saga unfolded like a roller-coaster of twists and high-stakes drama rather than a mere rules dispute. Pavia, a JUCO grinder from New Mexico Military who fought his way into the SEC, was abruptly informed that his eligibility would run out as he was torching defenses. After months of stress, legal wrangling, and annoyance, the NCAA eventually blinked and permitted him to play another season.

On December 23, the NCAA dropped a waiver extending eligibility for former JUCO and NAIA players, a move clearly forced by Pavia’s court fight. His JUCO years being counted against him? A judge wasn’t buying it, calling the policy unfair and potentially illegal under antitrust laws.

“This waiver ensures fairness for athletes impacted by eligibility rules, allowing them another year to compete while we reassess our policies,” the NCAA said.

That’s why this mattered beyond Vanderbilt. Pavia was fighting for time, opportunity, and NIL money, things that JUCO athletes sometimes lose before they get a fair chance. The waiver isn’t perfect, and the NCAA is still appealing, but the message landed. The system broke when one player pushed back. Pavia changed the discourse for JUCO ballers worldwide.